


The Paths We Walk

by certifiedgeek



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comfort/Angst, Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s02e05-06 Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 20:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14268861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/certifiedgeek/pseuds/certifiedgeek
Summary: The 10th Doctor and Rose visit Amadi III, an ice bound planet, somewhere around the year 2 million. The Doctor's sight seeing tour goes a little wrong.





	1. The Best Adventures

**Author's Note:**

> Set somewhere in the latter part of Season 2 after Age of Steel.  
> This is copied from my Whofic account where I posted as DreamCaster. It is nearly 12 years old, so please forgive the naivety.

The Paths We Walk

Orbiting two suns at the far reaches of the galaxy, between the dead world of Amadi I and the vacuous space left by Amadi II when it vaporized sixty four thousand years ago, Amadi III was bathed in a soft amber light as the northern hemisphere entered into the transitional period between the two suns. The planet’s distance from both solar objects was great and left the surface frozen; ice, thirty kilometres thick in some places, formed on top of permafrost preventing any living creature from inhabiting the planet by natural means. Nevertheless as the light from the amber sun dimmed and the fainter green light from the nocturnal sun stretched its way across the frozen wasteland the glow of artificial lighting stretched up from the planet in large numbers turning the ice into a patchwork quilt of colours.

On the surface, at the outer edge of Toteln City limits, beyond the compound walls, two mostly humanoid people walked, arms linked together over the snow drifts staring up at the pale stars. As 243rd generation Amadi they had been born on the planet and were becoming genetically suited to the harsh environment. Dressed warmly their paper white faces were the only part of them left exposed to the cold. Their eyes were wider than humans with pupils more dilated to cope with the low light levels and they had no discernable nose, breathing instead through a series of small holes which were protected by tough flaps of skin that sat in a vertical line half way between eyes and mouth.

_The stars are bright tonight_

The woman, the taller of the two with an angular face and blue eyes, pointed skyward with her free arm, the other entwined with the man’s and stuck firmly in her coat pocket.

They stood on the summit of a low lying hill admiring the sky and the lights that danced on the ice.

He looked at her with soft brown eyes, _Do you ever wonder what it would be like to spend the night under the stars? Just you and me?_

She laughed soundlessly her face alive with possibilities, _It would be beautiful and for you I’d try it, just the once._

As they talked the wind picked up and snow started to fall. Huddling together against the cold they watch a meteor burn up across the sky with an orange vapour trail following behind. Amadi III was an inhospitable planet beyond the walls of the compounds, nocturnal wandering — and in general any activity outside of the city limit — was considered foolish. The wind blew across the city in a north/south direction and carried with it the odd note of music, not loud enough to hear the words, but beautiful just the same.

_We should go back, Ellor, the night is getting cold._

Ellor nodded his agreement and squeezed her tightly, _Come on then._

Turning around they stared in disbelief. Toteln city had vanished and all that could be seen from the hill to the mountains in the East, was ice.

* * *

“It’s snowing!”

Rose held out her hand and caught a large snowflake as it tumbled helplessly from the sky. In her hand it lasted just a second before melting away to a tiny drop of water.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and grinned, “That’s what I love about you…You see the end of the Earth, save the planet a handful of times, survive Cybermen and Daleks, and are still marvelled by snow.”

The droplet of water in Rose’s hand evaporated into the atmosphere and she touched the spot where it had been idly with a lightly clenched fist, “It’s colder here than Earth,” she said drawing her duffle coat close around her neck, “Where did you say we were?”

The Doctor, with only a trench coat over his suit to ward off the cold, appeared not to notice the icy conditions, “Amadi III, nice little planet, semi-humanoid race, bit hairy though, probably to do with the weather… cross between the yeti and a mild tempered grizzly bear,” he paused ignoring Rose’s slightly blank look and stared out into the distance, “You see that?”

Following the Doctor’s outstretched finger towards the horizon Rose could make out the outline of a structure which seemed to be built into the snow. Vaguely resembling what human’s would call a cathedral, towers of snow, or perhaps ice, were illuminated by a neon blue light which dissipated into the vaguely green light from Amadi III’s second, nocturnal, sun.

“It’s beautiful… what is it?”

“Opera house,” he wrinkled up his nose and considered for a moment, “Well… they call it opera, sounds more like a cat with its tail stuck in the door.”

Rose laughed, “All opera sounds like that to me.”

“Trust me, it’s much worse.”

“So what are we doing here?” The snow began to fall more heavily covering an already white landscape with an extra coating of frozen ice particles. Standing still Rose thought she could feel the earth moving beneath her feet, turning in its orbit so many millions of miles away from her home, “Don’t tell me you brought us here to see a show?”

“Close, beauty competition, best in the galaxy,” the Doctor’s face as impassive but his eyes flashed with a smile that he had banished from his lips.

Rose slapped his arm and then huddled up to him for a little extra warmth, “Hairy women in bikini’s?”

“Equality Rose! Males and females compete together here… it’s a bit cold for bikini’s though,” squeezing Rose’s arm for a second he released her to grab her hand, “Come on, there’s something I want you to see but we have to take a little walk.”

“In this weather?” Rose complained.

“The Amadi aren’t too fond of Time-Lords, can’t imagine why. The TARDIS will have to stay here where no-one can see it.”

“And they aren’t going to find us the slightest bit strange then?” she quickened her pace to keep up with the Doctor’s long strides, “Them being hairy and us… well… not.”

“Oh they have all kinds of alien’s here, even humans; it’s just the TARDIS that will draw too much attention,” he looked up to where a shuttle flew overhead making its way through the start of the snow storm, “A little misunderstanding I had with them a few centuries ago, the regeneration will throw them off the scent for a while, and if we keep out of trouble….”

Laughing loudly the pair headed off across the snow plain towards the blue light.

* * *

The opera house was infinitely more beautiful on the inside. The blue lights which shone through the windows, seeped through the crystal like columns of pure ice and reflected off the surface, dancing on the intricately carved ceiling which was decorated with heroic images from one of the Amadi mythologies. Winged creatures hung from the icy supports by their claws dangling upside down over the auditorium, some curled up in a sleeping type pose and others with their wings spread wide in preparation for flight. Semi-human people interacted with the animals, dancing, feasting, and inevitably fighting. In the very centre of the ceiling protruding down towards the auditorium by several metres there was a globe, presumably Amadi III, which was peeling like the skin of an orange, torn apart by a creature with talons as long as Rose’s hand, wings of a pterodactyl and the body of something that could once have been humanoid. Looking at the ice beneath her feet Rose realised she was walking on the discarded skin, peeled sections of the planet’s crust were carved into the floor directly under the ceiling decoration. Awed by the scale of the building she gapped at the carefully carved decorations which appeared to reach up from the centre of the earth right up into the world above.

Beside her the Doctor grinned, “Thought you’d like it,” he said his eyes more on his companion’s stunned expression than on the beauties that surrounded them.

“Like it? It’s amazing. It must have taken centuries to do all this.”

“Two actually, they had a little war in the middle that set them back a decade or two. Skilled craftsman aren’t so skilled with their fingers missing,” he nodded in the direction of a frieze which depicted the same monster from above cradling another globe in its lap, “Look at the difference in the carving, this one is still beautiful but the edges aren’t as precise. Mind you, working with ice for decades must have a numbing effect.”

“If this is all ice why doesn’t it melt away?” she reached out to touch the wall only to find the Doctor’s hand catching hers, “Is it always this cold here?”

“Don’t touch it. Your body temperature is much higher than the Amadi’s. A second of contact between your skin and this ice would wipe away half a face. That’s why this place feels so cold to you, it’s about 70 degrees below zero. Don’t knock it, this is summer. For half a solar year this place is in constant icy darkness. Gets down to zero degrees Kelvin outside.”

Snuggling into the duffle coat Rose shot a bemused look at him, “It doesn’t feel that cold.”

Giving a little shrug he exposed the inner lining of Rose’s jacket, his long fingers prising apart a small fault in the seam, “Special stuff. Didn’t want you to be cold.”

“Thanks,” Rose laughed loudly and listened to the sudden echo around the auditorium, “and ‘special stuff’ is a technical term I take it?”

“Oh absolutely,” he grinned again and, still holding her hand, whispered quietly, “Come on, they’re going to start singing in a minute.”

“Can’t we listen?” Rose hurried to keep up with the Doctor, “It can’t be that bad!”

“Outside,” he said, and thrust her out into the bitter wind as a low moan began to vibrate throughout the walls.

Outside the moan was quieter but still clear. It was a mournful sound, full of pain.

“Tuning up,” the Doctor said wincing at the sound, “The music is based on the harmonics of the building… or is it the other way around? Anyway if you stand inside it would perforate your eardrum. Should be okay out here; just remember I warned you, if you want to listen to howling felines you carry on.”

The snow began to fall more heavily as they stood a short distance from the building listening to the resonance of deep voices which rippled through the air. It began quietly, one voice joined by another and then another until the intensity seemed to be surrounding them, lifting them up but pushing them down at the same time. It was hypnotic. Others had gathered outside the opera house, small groups of Amadi dressed in fur coats Rose thought until she realised that they were unclothed and that the fur was their natural skin covering. The backs of their hands were also fur covered but the palms were pale and their faces were almost human except for the absence of a nose, at least at a hundred paces she could not see one, evidently an evolutionary device to protect against the cold winds. Short in stature, Rose estimated them to be about the same height as her, the fur concealed what she could only assume was strong muscle bound arms and legs. No looks were exchanged and Rose went back to staring at the opera house feeling the deep voices drawing her in.

Music reverberated through the ice the whole landscape amplifying the strange melody. It reminded Rose of a car passing by with the bass turned up so loud you could feel the air moving. The low bass resonated in her chest and she realised that her face was wet, the sound provoking a deep inexplicable emotional response as though the pain in the music was hers. The intensity of the sound was overwhelming and the hypnotic blue light kept her fixed to the spot, transfixed by it all.

The Doctor stood equally still, except for his eyes which he kept away from the blue lights focusing instead on the back of Rose’s head as she stood just a little in front of him. The sound rolled through his body too, awaking memories and driving itself into the forgotten corners of his mind bringing back with moments of love and loss with excruciating agony. His timing was out, which was unusual. He had anticipated being back at the TARDIS before the songs began, perhaps they had changed the performances in the last two centuries, after all, the last time he had been on Amadi III the building had only just been carved out of the ice face, the decorating had barely been started. But it was more than that, the music was wrong, very wrong. Before it had been loud, high pitched, and melodic but underscored by strange vocal anomalies that syncopated the tune like old jazz sung into an empty room. The ‘caterwauling’ he had promised Rose was something of an embellishment his memory of the last trip was tainted by some unwelcome advances from the lead vocalist and some other moments that he chose not to examine too closely too often. He felt his eyes drawn to the soft blue light and regretfully stared at it as it bleed through the ice towards them.

The cold forced its way through Rose’s jacket and she stepped backwards to stand side by side with the Doctor. She looked up at him with icicles forming from the tears on her face.

“Its so beautiful it hurts,” she said quietly.

The Doctor merely nodded, he seemed to be inside himself.

“I think we better get out of here,” she said, an uneasy feeling crept over her, “Come on.”

Rose took a few steps forward but realised that the Doctor was not following. He was standing, staring into the ice beneath his feet which seemed to be glowing with the same blue light that came from the opera house. It was spreading, reaching out from the building and surrounding the clusters of people who stood oblivious to the changes at their feet. Further away Amadi were falling without a sound, and then, Rose realised, they were sinking into the ice.

Dropping to her knees she used her arm to clear the freshly fallen snow. Beneath it was a solid ice sheet, clear as glass, that looked down to a crypt with dead eyes staring back up at her. Then the dead eyes blinked and a hand reached up stretching through the ice. With an exclamation of horror Rose jumped up and grabbed the Doctor’s sleeve.

“Doctor! Come on we have to go, unless you want to be a Time-Lord ice pop!”

Something of her words seeped into his dazed mind and his eyes focused on hers, “Oh, right-o lets get moving then,” he said in his usual cheerful tone and they made a run for it.

* * *

In the TARDIS Rose handed the Doctor a cup of sweet tea.

“Just like me mum’s,” she said with a laugh that sounded more forced than anything else, “You alright Doctor?”

The Doctor held the mug in his well manicured hands and frowned, “Actually… no.”

Rose hesitated, the Doctor was always alright, even when he was threatened by certain painful death he was alright, but this was just some music on a cold hell hole of a planet which had some lovely art work.

“You see, Rose, that shouldn’t have happened. That’s not the way it works. They’re supposed to sing off key for an hour or so, deafen half the neighbourhood, set off a few fire works and that’s the end of the show,” he drank the tea slowly and grimaced, “You’re right, just like your mum’s.”

“Well at least your sense of humour is coming back…” Rose breathed a sigh of relief, “So what is going on out there? People don’t just fall into ice. It was like they melted into it. And not one of them cried out, it was like they couldn’t speak.”

“Oh they cried out Rose,” the Doctor said in a quiet far-away voice, “I could hear them. Screaming in their minds, and projecting it out to anyone who knew how to listen.”

“You could hear them?”

He nodded, “And they weren’t doing that by choice. Something was making them go to that place… and we’re going to find out why!”

Suddenly he was a whirl of action again pacing around the room, thinking aloud, and pushing buttons on the consol, “Some kind of psychic field perhaps, drawing them in, or hypnosis… yes hypnosis is good, that would fit in. It has something to do with the change in the song, the voices have changed… we need to take a look at what’s going on in that building, have a word with the owners,” he paused and looked at Rose with renewed energy, “What did you see out there? And why didn’t you get sucked in?”

“I’m not complaining!” she retorted, “I’m not sure what it was, people just seem to fall over then vanish into the ice like they were sucked into sinking sand.”

He considered, “Sinking ice… that’s different. It would take huge amounts of power to do something like that, melting isn’t too hard it’s the immediate refreeze that would cause the drain, some giant refrigeration unit,” he whirled about in his own personal tornado gathering Rose up in the momentum, “Oh yes! Come on Rose, get your coat on, we have work to do!”

“Where are we going Doctor?” Rose barely had chance to pick up her jacket before he was ushering her out of the door.

“Back to the opera house. The performance is over, time for us to do a little snooping around.”

A broad grin spread across her face, “You’re loving this aren’t you?”

“The best adventures turn up in the most unexpected places,” he winked and stepped back out into the snow.

* * *


	2. The Best Adventures

The green light of the nocturnal sun nestled quietly on the ice where Toteln City had once stood and where now only a single child’s toy sat against the perimeter wall as a mark that anything had been inside the corral at all. His white skin tinted green from the light above, and from the sick feeling in his stomach, Ellor picked up the rattle listening to the sound of the beads inside as it shook in his frightened hand. Beneath his feet there was a glass like sheet of ice covered already in a layer of snow. The wind had stopped and without the sounds of the missing city the whole place was hung in an eerie silence, the snow landing without even the faintest whisper all around him. There was nothing left.

By the city gates stood his bride of only a few hours before, Mieka, daughter of Venti Dsk the leader of the city council and owner of the most profitable mines on Amadi. He had not married her for her money, despite what people had said, he was a lowly cleric to the city lords, the son of miners — though he never admitted that - and had fallen hopelessly in love with Mieka the first time he saw her. Looking back at her as she stood looking forlornly out at the place that had been their home Ellor wondered what life they could have now, and if they would have been better to have been swept away with the rest of the city. He had survived in the wilderness before, for a few nights in his walk from the mines, but that had been in the summer, when the temperatures were not quite so bitter. Mieka was so much more fragile, the harshness of life outside the city was alien to her. Would she survive the trek to the nearest city? They could not go to the mines, Mieka would never be accepted there. It was a class ridden society, her breeding would be self evident and they would be thrown out of the compound as soon as they entered it.

Ellor’s eyes scanned the empty space that had been the city. How could it all have vanished so quickly and without a sound? In his mind he heard Mieka crying and struggled to his feet, forcing his way back to the city gates against a fresh blast of snow. There was no point staying here. Their best hope was to make it to the mountains before the coldest part of the night. There they might find shelter for a few hours before continuing their trek towards the capital city. It would take, at a steady walk, perhaps four days if they were lucky. Gently he hugged his bride and, taking her hand in his, began their journey.

* * *

The sonic screwdriver was the only glowing blue light when the Doctor and Rose approached the main entrance to the opera house for the second time. The streets were deserted and despite Rose’s initial urge to push back the snow and see what lay beneath it the Doctor had forbidden it.

“At least lets take a look inside before we go waking the dead,” he had muttered quietly.

The door was locked, but not for long, and in a few moments they were inside the building which was lit by the soft light of the sun as it filtered through the ice windows. In this light the carvings took on a different aura, dark faces peered down at them, the gods of old legends cursing the disruption to the buildings sleep. The Doctor stopped beneath the carving of the world in the centre of the opera house and looked about him suspicious. Nothing, besides Rose, moved in the darkness, but something was wrong and he didn’t know why.

“What are we looking for?” Rose asked quietly, afraid to make too much noise.

“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly in an unusually subdued tone, “I can’t put my finger on it but there’s just something in this place that makes me uneasy.”

Rose nodded, “Man made?”

“Well… Amadi made perhaps. Its not natural, can you taste it?” snake like he stuck out his tongue tasting the air, “Artificial… but artificial what?”

Accepting his curious ways of discerning what was natural and what wasn’t Rose sniffed trying to smell whatever it was the Doctor’s taste buds were picking up, “Smells like blood,” she said suddenly.

He nodded slowly, “Yes, it does. Very good Rose! Not bad for someone with just 5 senses!”

Hopping down the steps to the stage Rose realised there was more to the place than she had seen before. Like the coliseum the performance area was at the centre, but below the level of the lowest seats, and in the centre of that there was something that looked like a pulpit. Ornately decorated, like the rest of the building, the carvings here seemed different. There were no gods, or monsters, or even any Amadi type figures, just a pattern of repeating symbols which wrapped around it, so dense at the bottom that the carving reminded her of ivy choking a dead tree. Rose walked around the centre of the stage and then stepped into the podium expecting to climb up, but the steps headed down in a spiral instead.

On the other side of the stage the Doctor was examining a particular piece of carving which he had not seen before. It depicted a more recent event and was, to an extent, written with hieroglyphics, which was unusual. The Amadi had no spoken language as such. Most were born mute so communication was, in most circumstances, mental, a cross between empathic and telepathic. Written language meant little to them, their written history was pictorial, like the carvings on the ceiling. 10,000 years before they had spoken, but over the centuries more children had been born mute until only a handful of babies were born each year with their vocal chords intact. The Doctor thought back to his last visit, in Amadi years that had been nearly eight thousand years ago. Maybe they would have forgotten about him by now, but he certainly hadn’t forgotten them. Or her. He shuddered at the memory. The opera house must have been standing now for thousands of years, unmarked by time, so strange then that this small carving should appear at the centre, and look so fresh. He felt his skin goose pimple. It all kept coming back to the fact that something was wrong. It tasted wrong, smelt wrong… but he couldn’t see it. He frowned.

“When I was here before,” he said to himself quietly, “When I came here the first time this wasn’t here. In fact, when I came here the first time, which would have been ooh about 200 years ago of my life time, this wasn’t here, because I distinctly remember standing here and looking for something… can’t remember what, but anyway… and that was…”he paused, counting back the centuries in, “Yes that was definitely more than seven thousand regular years ago. And this writing is older than that, it has to be. The Amadi haven’t used a written language since the book burnings,” he frowned again in distaste, “Bloody heathen’s burning books.”

He dug a piece of paper and pencil out of his pocket and scribbled down the hieroglyphics, he could read them but they didn’t make sense in the order they were written. He would see what he could find in his library where a few salvaged books, with burnt edges, were stored for posterity. Maybe he had forgotten how to place the symbols. Getting up he looked for Rose who was nowhere to be seen. He frowned again. Rose couldn’t stand still in one place for two minutes. One day he might just get a companion who didn’t wander off when his back was turned. Immediately he took the thought back, he wouldn’t swap Rose for anyone. Well there weren’t many places that she could have gone, he hadn’t heard the door and she wasn’t in the auditorium so he walked over to the podium himself and looked at the strange set of stairs that led down into the ice. He peered in to the murky darkness.

“Rose?”

The sound of footsteps on the stairs caught his ears and he peered in a little further.

A tall man, dressed in a long grey robe, stepped into the centre of the stage, his eyes dark and thoughtful, his expression unreadable. Taller than the Doctor, with dark brown hair his arms, which were not concealed by the robe, were covered in a dense fur and his hands were as white as the snow outside, his palm smooth as he reached out to shake the Doctor’s hand.

_You are most welcome here, stranger, but you visit us late at night._

“Ah, yes,” said the Doctor, forgetting himself for a minute as he wondered where Rose was and how come this man had not passed her on the stairs, “Well you see, the thing is, my friend and I were a bit lost, and we came in here out of the snow, and now I can’t seem to find her, and I wonder if she might have perhaps, wandered down your stairs? Pretty girl, blonde, bit shorter than me… oh and human. She’s got a thing about vanishing when I turn my back, likes to investigate a bit… in a harmless way of course. She’s totally harmless. Have you seen her?”

The man smiled thinly, _You are not of this world._

“No.”

_Then I will forgive your trespass this once. Please return when the opera house is open in the daylight._

Nodding vigorously in agreement the Doctor felt himself being escorted away from the staircase, “Oh of course, we’d love to. We like to see the sights. We’re just here for a little holiday, listen to the music, have a snowball fight… but you see I can’t leave without my companion.”

_I have seen no others_

“I think she might have gone down that staircase, do you think I could take a look?” he side stepped the robed man and peered into the darkness, “Anyone down there?” he called loudly.

If Rose was down there either she was too far away to hear him, or she wasn’t able to respond. The Doctor felt a chill pass through him. He was not leaving until he found her.

“Look, sorry to be a nuisance, with you being so hospitable and all, but do you think I could just pop down there and see where she’s got to? Probably looking for the Ladies, it’s a bit cold out here you know, has an effect on the human form. Now that I come to think of it, the temperature’s getting to me too…”

He was rambling, buying time. He didn’t know why this unknown man was so keen for him to leave but he was certain that he had seen Rose, and whatever the reason was for him to be lying, the Doctor was not going to let him get away with it.

_That place is not for off worlders_

The Doctor’s foot was on the first step, “No, that’s a pity, because if you don’t tell me where my friend is I’ll be taking a little trip down these stairs to find her myself.”

_You are not welcome here._

The Doctor felt the words burn in his head. Telepathic communication with a kick! Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second he pushed words back into the mind of the other, _Do not play games with me_

The other stared at him, _Only Amadi can communicate in this language. You are NOT Amadi_

A lopsided grin crossed the Doctor’s face, “No, I’m not. Let me introduce myself. I’m the Doctor, and my friend is Rose Tyler, and if I find that you have done something to her…” he gestured to a panel in the ceiling where a beautifully carved Police Call Box nestled in a sea of serpents, “I’ll have to give you a history lesson.”

 


	3. A Moment In Time

Dark eyes widened at the mention of his name, and the Doctor allowed himself a small satisfied smile as the robed man stepped back just half a step.

“My reputation precedes me then,” he muttered under his breath, and straightened his tie idly.

_You are not welcome here_ the man repeated with a firm, but less self assured manner.

“Well really! That’s hardly fair, I haven’t done anything yet… but I do suggest that, if you want to keep things at this nice little status quo with me NOT doing anything, that you help me find my friend. Quickly. Because my temper isn’t what it used to be,” his voice had taken on a darker tone and was laced with a fine degree of threat.

The stare faltered and the shoulders dropped ever so slightly, _Follow me_

A smile flashed across the Doctor’s face, “Thank you. What did you say your name was?”

_Tsuda_

“Bless you,” he replied.

Tsuda gave him a blank look and led the way down the spiral staircase into the dark.

It was difficult to tell, in the dark, where exactly they were heading, but the Doctor could smell Rose, her perfume sticking to his tongue with a slightly acrid aftertaste. She was not far in front of him, he was sure of that, but he was also becoming increasingly aware that the ‘blood’ like smell that Rose noted was also getting stronger. Tsuda was walking quickly in front of him, perhaps trying to get away from the “scourge of the gods” or whatever it was they called him on this world. He sighed quietly to himself, it had been so long ago but his presence was imprinted on this planet, indelible. He had hoped to avoid this, hoped not to have been forced to give away his identity, but it was done. Amadi was a complex civilization, older than the Earth, filled with legends and stories, atrocities, wars, love and even hope on occasion. Hope felt dead. The whole planet felt dead. Though he could feel the world spinning in its peculiar orbit the living presence beneath his feet was gone. That was not a good thing.

Pulling fragments of memories from his uncooperative mind he considered Tsuda’s dress and recalled seeing something similar on his last visit. A religious order? Amadi had been driven by what human’s considered pagan religions, that didn’t seem to fit… a governing body? No, they would not be running around an opera house, no matter how historically important, in the dead of night. Recognition filled the Doctor’s eyes. A cult. Not the usual sort, more related to the protection of artefacts, the remembrance of things past, the preservation of history. So what was his business in the caverns beneath the city?

They stopped where the stairs opened into a wide, well lit area, filled with shelves of books and a cluster of desks all covered in paper. Several other robed people were working in the room, reading old manuscripts or writing curious symbols on paper. In amongst it all Rose was sat, cross legged, on a table her in front of her and a beaker of water sat beside her. She looked angry but unharmed and her expression lightened as soon as the Doctor came into view.

“Hello Rose,” he grinned cheerfully, “I see you found someone to talk to.”

Rose held up her hands so he could clearly see the binding around her wrists, “They aren’t the most conversational bunch.”

Ignoring the look of anger from Tsuda the Doctor marched across the room and untied Rose’s wrists, “You alright?”

Rose nodded, “Yeah, fine. Sorry for giving the game away.”

Smiling he rubbed her wrists where the cloth had been a little over tight, “Don’t worry about it. They know who I am now, which may be a good or bad thing. Haven’t decided yet.”

Rose jumped off the table and took her position to the Doctor’s right, very slightly behind him. She could tell from his stature that he was not happy, and that he needed to exert some control over a situation he did not like in the slightest. He eyed up the room curiously, assessing the books on the shelves and the scholars who were tending them.

“Well,” he said giving compliments where they were due, “At least someone had the sense to save some of these volumes. Not much left of the old Amadi academic society now is there?”

Tsuda ushered the other clerks out of the room with a swift wave of his hand. Any conversation he had with them was too well concealed for the Doctor to hear it, but all eyes were diverted to the floor as they left hurriedly. So this man was obviously in some position of authority, the question was, did he know anything about vanishing people, strange writing, and the change in the songs? Tsuda raised his head and his dark eyes burned with fire.

_You have no place here Time-Lord._

Rose frowned, she heard a whisper of words at the edge of her mind but couldn’t hear them clearly enough to comprehend.

The Doctor’s eyes were cool and dark, the ghosts of the past walking in his head, “Let’s not go through that routine again. You don’t want me here, I don’t think I really want to be here, but I’m willing to bet you need me because the only reason you would be scouring the old texts is if something legendary was coming out of the woodwork. You need a legend to fight a legend.”

With a look of disgust Tsuda spat words back at him, _What use are you? The last Time-Lord? The destroyer of worlds? Here with your filthy human child who blindly dances to your bidding and will die like all the others? Your name is a curse. You are damnation incarnate._

Rose watched the Doctor’s expression falter. She could not hear what had been said to him but it evidently touched more than one raw nerve because he was standing very tall and very still, articulating each word with careful precision.

“You will not address her in that way again.”

_She is ignorant. What does it matter how I address her when she cannot hear me?_

“It matters because I SAID it matters,” he snapped the words out like bullets, “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but I intend to find out. With or without your help.”

_Then you will destroy us. Just as you did before._

“What?”

_You destroyed this world, Doctor, from the inside. You brought dreams which could not be accomplished, hope that had no foundations. We are what we have become because of you._

His expression was changing, becoming darker, colder, and a child-like sense of loss seemed to emanate from him. Rose examined his face and saw the old Doctor in his eyes, the haunted look that had so devastated his last face. Sensing the confrontation was getting personal Rose stepped quietly forward to be side by side with the Doctor, her hand brushing his very gently. If he was aware of her movement he made no acknowledgement and continued to stare at Tsuda.

_Come Doctor, I will show you what this world has become. Open your mind to me._

The Doctor shook his head, _No_

_Look at your creations, Time-Lord, look at what one moment of your time did to us_. Tsuda pushed his thoughts out to the Doctor sending him writhing to the floor. People burned, buildings collapsed. Fire was falling from the sky, dripping like molten lava over mountains. Scorched faces stared at him, screaming his name.

“Arcadia…” he whispered, “No…”

Rose was on her knees beside the Doctor reaching out to him. She was saying something but he could not hear it and as she caught his hand he pushed her away making her fall against a table. Papers tumbled about him, burning. Everything was on fire. Rose scrambled to her feet, confused, and turned her attention to Tsuda who seemed to be in a trance, his eyes fixed coldly on the Doctor. If she couldn’t get through to the Doctor maybe she could stop whatever was being done to him. She strode across the room and stood between the paralysed Doctor and the scholar blocking the direct line of sight. It seemed to have the desired effect. Tsuda’s eyes met Rose’s and she felt a sudden heat as his thoughts drilled into her head. Reaching out her hand she pushed him, hard, knocking him off balance, he stumbled and fell, sliding down a few steps before coming to a rest in the corner of the stairwell, his eyes shut.

“Oh god,” Rose gasped and turned to see the Doctor dragging himself to his feet. Taking a few steps forward Rose looked for a pulse on the scholar’s neck, although not entirely sure where it would be.

“He’s fine,” the Doctor said hoarsely, “You just knocked him out. Well done. Best thing you could have done in the circumstances.”

He shook himself and straightened his clothes, and ran his finger subconsciously around the collar of his shirt.

“Right then, while he’s napping lets get out of here. I’ve seen enough for now. More than enough.”

Picking up an open book that was lying on the floor the Doctor tucked it under his jacket and led the way back up the stairs and out of the opera house.

* * *

“I think you better tell me what’s going on,” said Rose as they walked quietly back through the deserted streets. Neither of them had spoken since leaving the scholar’s chamber. The sound of Rose’s voice broke the Doctor’s revere and he stared at her for a second apparently in some confusion.

“Oh, Rose, its you,” he said as though he had been expecting someone else.

“No, it’s the bogeyman,” she countered, aiming for a smile and falling short, “What’s happening Doctor? These people don’t talk so I’m guessing they have telepathic powers or something, and they don’t like you much. What happened back there?”

They walked on in silence for a few minutes the sound of their boots crunching in the snow the only noise. Finally the Doctor took a deep breath and said, “No, they don’t like me much at all, do they.”

Rose shook her head trying to make sense of things, “What’s got into you? You’ve been weird since they started singing, which wasn’t as bad as you said it would be by the way. If you can’t tell me what’s going on here at least tell me what’s wrong with you!”

_I’m alright_ he projected into her head.

Rose stopped dead. “What they hell was that?”

“I said, I’m alright.”

“No you didn’t, you said it in my head. You were talking like the Amadi weren’t you, sticking thoughts in people’s minds?” Rose swung round on him in frustration but with concern written all over her face, “Please, Doctor, tell me what’s going on!”

“He opened a door,” the Doctor said quietly, “I don’t know how, a door in my mind. Blasted it open, bit like a psychic barrage. Right now I can hear every thought on this world like people are shouting in my ears. I can shut it down, just need to be in the TARDIS where it’s quiet. It’s hard to concentrate out here.”

Rose noticed a thin line of sweat on the Doctor’s forehead and realised he must be fighting hard to make himself hear her. The TARDIS was only over the next summit and was beginning to be concealed by the snow, which under the circumstances might not be a bad thing. Rose picked her key out from the pocket of her jacket and stepped up the pace heading straight over the hill. The Doctor followed a step behind, lost in a sea of voices.


	4. History

They had walked through the night moving swiftly onwards whilst their bodies grew tired and numb. Snow had continued to fall, and they were coated in the white powder which after a while they had stopped trying to brush from their clothing, allowing the damp to seep through the thick material a millimetre at a time. They had walked hand in hand until their fingers had frozen; from that point forward they walked separately, their physical bond severed. Their empathic bond remained constant, but limited, they did not speak, just walked.

There were passages through the mountains, and tourist ranger stations on either side where they might be able to enlist help, but in the midst of winter it was unlikely the positions would be manned. The best they could hope for was a meal, and shelter, for a little while. The prospect of warmth kept them moving, the last remaining dream of hope.

Mieka had cried for the first hour of the walk, quietly, refusing Ellor’s attempts to comfort her. He had lost no-one. She had lost her family, her status, her home. She had lived in Toteln city for her whole life. Her friends had been there, her school, the places that she would hide from her mother when she had stolen biscuits from the kitchen, the places she and Ellor had courted before they had finally worked up the courage to tell her father about their relationship. Grief filled her soul and she screamed out to the gods above and below drumming her pain at the universe.

Ellor felt her bitterness and was sorry. The few possessions he had had been lost, but he had no family in the city, he had no family anywhere, his only love was at his side. She had closed down her link with him to the tiniest of empathic contacts, he could not hear her thoughts and though her emotions rippled through him they were whispers of her soul that evaded his grasp as he reached in his mind to touch her. He could sense her projections to the universe but they too were beyond him. As the daughter of a politician Mieka had been schooled in ways of concealing thoughts from others — beyond what was normally acceptable by the standards of society, Ellor's poor education did not cover such topics and he knew that she could reach inside his mind whenever she chose and he would not be able to stop her. She had done it once before, to demonstrate the ability, and after that she swore she would not repeat the act. Now, as the cold nestled into his bones, he felt distanced from his wife.

The Amadi were gregarious people. From birth the mutes were psychically linked with others and as they grew bonds formed with all those that they touched. Amadi were never alone in their minds, linked with their parents, their siblings, their dearest friends, all connected in the background, their consciousnesses entwined. Ellor had been abandoned, when he left the mines he had severed his ties with the community of his youth and he had let only Mieka touch his thoughts. It was a lonely existence for an Amadi but he had survived on Mieka’s love since they had first met. With her thoughts withheld Ellor was alone in his mind and he reached out his mind to the universe, not in prayer but in desperation. _Please help us, we are dying_

And the universe called back in a voice filled with anguish, _I am coming_.

* * *

The Doctor’s face was bleached white with sweat running down his face as he sat on the sofa in the TARDIS. Rose had helped him out of his jacket and guided him to the seat where he had sat unmoving for nearly an hour. Beside him was a mug of tea which had long since gone cold and Rose, who knew of nothing else that would help, sat at the Doctor’s side holding his hand tightly in both of hers although it seemed he was unaware of her presence. His body was rigid, paralysed almost, his breathing was shallow and his eyes were closed, not screwed shut but almost wincing in some sort of pain. Rose looked on with concern but something told her that he was doing what needed to be done, so she remained silent and waited for him to make the first move.

Finally, after more time had passed, Rose felt the hand which she held gently squeeze hers in an appreciative movement. Rose looked up and saw the Doctor looking back at her with dark eyes that resonated with pain.

“Hello,” he said quietly, a sad little smile on his lips.

“Hi,” said Rose who returned his smile with enthusiasm, “All quiet in there now?” she gestured to his head with one hand, the other still wrapped up in the Doctor’s fingers.

“The TARDIS maintains her own environment, nothing outside should effect the inside. She acted as a dampening field, cut off the voices almost as soon as you closed the door.”

He leant into the sofa for a moment, recovering his strength, “So much screaming,” he added darkly and Rose felt him shudder.

Unlacing her fingers from his Rose moved to stand but he held he hand for a moment longer like a scared child who had woken from nightmares, then apparently remembering himself he released her and averted his eyes so she could not see the pain that was threatening to overwhelm him. He hadn’t lied, the TARDIS was dampening the voices, but they were not gone. Worse, they were stretching out through time, blending with the past, his past.

Rose, sensing his pain, looked away and walked slowly around the room, considering her next question. When she could not think of any other way phrase it she blurted it out, “You said ‘Arcadia’…back there, in the library… is this to do with the Time-War?”

He did not look at her, “No.”

“But Arcadia… you said you were there…”

His voice changed and for a moment she could see the old doctor looking out from new eyes, “I was. He, Tsuda, mixed my memories with his projections. He made me relive it. Every last second. The destruction of my world merged with the devastation of his. All my fault.”

Rose saw drops of salt water forming in his eyes and watched as he blinked them away, gathering himself. This pain had not been so raw since the regeneration, he rarely spoke about his home, his world, his life before, and Rose had chosen not to ask. Since his 9th regeneration he had become hyperactive, always moving, never stopping even for a second, it was as though he had banished all thoughts of the past. Until now.

“Rose, I…” his voice petered out and he shook his head not knowing quite what to say.

“What’s happening here Doctor?”

He smiled. Always the generous one, saving his awkwardness, his loss of words, somehow she always gave him an escape route just when he needed one. He stood and paced slowly around the room, his brain ticking like a clockwork machine, processing information, making leaps of logic and tying together lose ends that fluttered in the breeze.

“I’ve been here before,” he said, “And if what Tsuda said is correct then I created this world. I made this planet what it has become but I don’t know how. He said I gave them hope without foundation… but why?” he rubbed his face with his hands trying to remember, “It was so long ago, so many thousands of years ago…”

“Tell me about the last visit?” Rose asked from the other side of the room.

For once he seemed to agree. He crossed the room and stood facing her his hand resting on her shoulders.

“Do you trust me?” he said knowing the answer, “I can show you if you’ll let me touch your mind.”

Rose nodded, “Of course I trust you.”

“Good,” he smiled reassuringly, “But no poking around behind closed doors, okay? I’ve had enough people doing that already today. I’ll guide you and it will feel like you’re there, but you can’t do anything other than watch, it’s a bit like being a fly on the wall. Understand?”

“Okay.”

“Relax then,” he said and gently pressed two fingers to each side of her head, “Walk with me…”

* * *

For a moment everything darkened and then a burst of light engulfed them and Rose felt that she was standing on the edge of existence watching the universe spin. She could feel the rotation of the planet in its orbit around the two suns and a strange inter-dimensional pull which reminded her of the Time Vortex. She looked to her side and realised she was alone, she hadn’t expected that.

“I’m here,” he whispered in her mind, “But you are seeing through my eyes, you will feel what I felt. This is 200 of my years ago, nearly 8000 years ago in Amadi history, if you see our reflection I will look very different, but don’t be afraid. Things won’t be the same as they are now, just go with it, nothing can hurt you.”

The world opened before her and the landscape was familiar, all ice and snow. Mountains loomed in the background, elegant, snow draped mountains which glistened in the sunlight. The sun was a different colour, more vibrant than she had seen through her own eyes, she could sense its warmth on her skin and feel the way the hair on the back of his/her hands was pricked up by the cold breeze. 8000 years really wasn’t that long ago, Rose realised, considering she’d been to the end of the earth which was millions of years in the future. Around her people scurried about their daily routines, shopping, carrying bags, looking after children, but everything felt different, there was a darkness all around her, smothered my the sound of laughter and conversation.

The Amadi were talking, in deep guttural voices that seemed quite out of place amongst the lithe, slender forms of the people. Their laughter was infections, making Rose smile broadly. Through the Doctor’s eyes Rose looked on as he observed the world before him with a satisfied glow, taking in a new sight with all his senses and she felt every one of them in a brief moment of complete clarity. So this was what he meant about human’s being so lacking in senses.

And then she realised the satisfied glow had nothing to do with the world.

A woman reached out and took his hand and he held it in such a familiar way that Rose almost gasped. She felt him smile, and turned with him to face her. She was tall, or at least taller than the Doctor in whatever form he currently inhabited, with long red hair and amber eyes that glowed brightly. She was smiling too, a smile that lit up his being. Rose felt his hearts pumping harder… with more passion? He felt alive in a way that Rose did not know how to describe. Did he know she could feel this too? The woman was speaking in a gentle, melodic, voice, talking about how she wanted him to see something that she had found on the planet.

Aislin.

Such a beautiful name.

The images were inconstant. Perhaps the memories were fading, perhaps it was something he did not wish Rose to see, perhaps he was simply condensing events, missing out the unimportant moments. They moved from the ice to a cave, filled with paintings that danced on the rock walls. Aislin was smiling still, gesturing to a story, a painted description of a legend from millennia past.

“Amadi,” she said in her lilting voice, “ ‘Destined to die at birth’.”

“No wonder the people here are so miserable,” he said in a voice that Rose did not recognise, but the words were his alright. Same old Doctor.

They walked further into the cave, Aislin leading, which Rose found strange. The Doctor led the way, always, but he was different here. He was younger, Rose could feel it in his physical form, but his mood was lighter, more buoyant, not manic, a gentle warmness swept through her. He was happy. More than that he was contented with his life, he knew where he was going. Everything was so clear in his mind, he was going to ask Aislin something important, but he stopped short and Rose felt the thought slip away from her just as she reached for it.

The images changed again, to somewhere deep inside the planet, a cavern filled with light. In the centre was pit above which hovered a sphere with an open door. The Doctor felt different now, older and cold. Aislin was inside the sphere, smiling sadly at him. She was crying, tears trickling down her face as she told him not to be sad and to live a good life. It was necessary, she said, to sustain the planet one of them had to remain here in its centre.

“The paths we walk are not ours to chose; and you, my Doctor, are destined for greater things,” she said knowingly, “You must touch the stars.”

Rose felt tears sting her face unsure if they were her own or his. She heard him go to say something, and change his mind at the last moment, pushing whatever sentiment it was into the depths of his soul. The sphere door closed and as they watched on it sank into pit.

* * *

His hands slipped from her face and they stood looking into each other’s eyes, both faces wet with tears.

“She died so the planet would live?” Rose asked.

He shook his head, “Not quite. She was like me, a Time-Lord — well, Time-Lady. I suppose in these modern times she would have been called a Time-Lord too, androgenized. She would have hated that. The planet was dying, it had no hope, no soul. It was a living creature to a certain extent and it needed to feed on living beings to satiate its need for emotion. It was slowly devouring itself a piece at a time. She gave up her life to sustain the planet, regeneration after regeneration feeding this chunk of rock.”

The Doctor looked away, his eyes blazing, “And now that pompous, self righteous idiot…” he trailed off as a terrible realisation passed over him, “He’s right…and you were. This is about the Time-War. I killed them all, I am the only one left, and that means there is no-one at the centre of this world anymore…”

“And the planet is dying again,” Rose finished, “ ‘Hope with no foundation’… if there is nothing in the centre there’s nothing to build on.”

“Exactly.”

“So what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, “But I’m going to find out. Come on. Ever wanted to journey to the centre of the world?”

* * *


	5. The Centre of the World

Mieka walked doggedly onwards trailing Ellor by a hundred paces as they approached the foot of the mountains that had, the previous evening, lined the horizon. Refusing to reply to his questioning looks and anxious brushes against her mind she remained impassive, locking the world out of her existence. She knew he let her walk behind because he could not bear to see her tears, and because she had pushed him away with such force that even she had been stunned by the depth of her anger towards him. He had reeled backwards at her mental blow, his face paler than ever. Her rejection of him was complete, and he knew it. She stared at his back as he approached an opening in the mountain and felt herself wither a little. He was a good man, a gentle, kind, honest man who had given up everything for her. She was ungrateful, the spoilt little girl her mother had always said she was.

_Mother_

A voice sang sweetly in her memory, a gentle lullaby that her mother had used to send her off to sleep as a child. Mieka smiled and turned, looking for the origin of the music, but there was no-one but Ellor, and he never sang in her mind, he was too self-critical to do that.

A thin blue light quietly slipped through the ice unnoticed.

Ellor paused in the mouth of the passageway glad of the break from the wind and the opportunity to stop and inhale air that did not freeze his nostrils with every breath. The mouth of the passageway was gently lit by artificial lights that had been recessed into the ceiling and a slight warmth slid through the tunnel to softly caress his face. He looked hopefully at Mieka as she rested a short distance from him, sitting outside still on a large rock. Looking closely he realised she was smiling for the first time in hours, and wondered what she was looking at in a far off stare. Stamping the snow from his boots Ellor spotted the blue light that was running through the floor at his feet, it seemed to stretch under the mountains and out toward the place where Mieka perched. How strange that he had not noticed it before.

_Ellor_ Mieka’s voice rang softly in his head, _Ellor, mother is here. Can you hear her?_

He frowned and sighed, she was tired and hallucinating _Come my love, it’s warmer in here._

Mieka said nothing more and as Ellor watched she sank slowly into the ice, a smile spread widely over her face.

* * *

When he had said that they were going to the centre of the planet Rose hadn’t entirely believed him, but opening the TARDIS door in what appeared to be a cavern, which the Doctor informed her was 15 kilometres inside the planet, she began to change her mind. Unlike the surface the middle of the planet was hot and humid but the air was stale and dank from the thousands of years that it had been left undisturbed. It was, on the other hand, well lit which she found disconcerting.

“Who knew we were coming?” she said gesturing to the illumination.

“I don’t know,” he said, muttering afterwards, “I seem to be saying that a lot today.”

“That’s a fine way to give someone confidence,” Rose grinned back at him.

“Well, you know, its all an act… means I can pull something out of the hat just at the crucial moment.”

Rose gave him a raised eyebrow and let him lead her towards a small passageway which ran further down inside the planet.

The floor was sandy and by the artificial lights they could both make out the footprints of two very different shoes, one wide and clumsy, the marks scuffed as though made by someone who could barely walk whilst the other set was narrow and crisp, some of the footprints lying on top of the other tracks. The Doctor casually noted the difference and sniffed the air.

“Tsuda,” he said abruptly, “It stinks of old books down here.”

“Do you think he knows we are here?”

The Doctor shrugged, “It would be a fair assumption if he knows his history as well as he claims to. What worries me is I don’t know what he’s going to do, or what he expects me to do. Lesser races…” he ignored Rose’s look, “…were not supposed to be aware of the Time-War, the Time-Lords and the Daleks were removed from most of the rest of the universe. The Nestene Consciousness just got in the way a bit, so did a couple of others, but they weren’t at the heart of the action. The war damaged their worlds but it didn’t destroy them.”

“Maybe he wants you to take centre stage.”

A dark look crossed the Doctor’s face, “That crossed my mind too, but it’s not an option. The last Time-Lord can’t spend eternity stuck inside a planet. I’d go mad! Well, more mad than I am already.”

Rose decided she wouldn’t ask what the other options were.

The passageway, Rose noted, was identical to the one the Doctor had shown her, the paintings on the wall as vibrant as they had been when he had been here before. She watched him pause for a moment by the inscription that Aislin had read to him, peering at that and a crumpled piece of paper that he held in his hand. He was frowning, his forehead creased with confused lines and he was talking to himself rather than Rose, thinking aloud in a voice that she couldn’t quite hear, nor understand.

Just as she had seen in the Doctor’s memories the passageway opened up to a large cavern with a pit that looked like an old fashioned well at the centre of it. The room was empty but two more passageways opened up to the left and the right, both of which were equally well lit. The two sets of footprints split circling the well in opposite directions but meeting again at the end of one of the passageways. Wherever they were headed was deeper inside the planet.

Approaching the walled edge of the pit Rose noticed that it was not as ancient as it had appeared as a series of little lights flickered on the rim and around them were symbols carved into the stonework.

“A passcode to make the sphere rise?” Rose asked.

He nodded and after a moments hesitation he slowly entered a set of instructions to the lights which flashed in unison after he finished.

“Did the sphere come from the planet?”

“No.”

“So it shouldn’t still be here then, if it’s Time-Lord technology? I mean if the Time-Lords were erased from time then nothing should remain…”

“No.”

“Then what…?”

His look told her it was better not to ask.

They stood in silence for a moment and then as the pit lights turned to a constant amber the sound of something rising in the shaft could faintly be heard. A long way down the sound echoed around the cave the volume increasing until it drowned out everything else. Rose pressed her hands against her ears in a futile attempt to protect her eardrums whilst the Doctor stood mesmerised by something she could not see.

And then it stopped and the silence was deafening.

Hovering above the pit was a circular platform covered in sand, but Rose knew that this was where the sphere should have sat. He had hoped that it would still be here, somehow escaping the devastation of the Time-War, but it had not. Rose looked away from his sad eyes and peered into the passageway where Tsuda and the other had gone.

The passage before her was not unlike the one they had walked though except that it was undecorated. In comparison it looked bare and unfinished, but it appeared equally as old as the other and sloped in a steady downhill fashion. The lights were slightly dimmer here but she could still make out the footprints and wondered where they could have gone. Tempted as she was to explore by herself Rose decided that the Doctor wasn’t in the kind of state of mind where she would want him to be alone and that exploring could wait for another time. Turning back she could see the Doctor was still standing perfectly still his eyes focused on the slowly revolving tablet that had emerged from the pit.

“So what now?”

If he heard her he made no indication that he had. Rose crossed to him and stared at the spot which seemed to so have his attention. There was nothing there, not even a flicker of lights. Maybe it was invisible to the human eye, or maybe he was staring at the past, but whatever it was Rose felt a distinct unease about the situation. She put her hand on his shoulder, still no response, his gaze didn’t falter for a second.

_I can hear her Rose_

Rose’s eyes widened at his voice inside her head. Not a good sign.

“Come on, we’re getting out of here,” she spoke with all the authority of a school mistress instructing mischievous children to report to the headmaster’s office. Her tone had no effect.

_He is with us now_

Rose spun at the second voice in her heard to find Tsuda standing at the mouth of the passageway holding a battered book in one hand and a staff in the other.

_He must serve his purpose and honour his debt to the universe_

Consciously placing herself between the Doctor and Tsuda she drew herself up to her full height and stared back at him, “Leave him alone.”

A curious grin spread across the other man’s face in what Rose considered a silent laugh _He is not yours to bargain with. His debt is to this world, to this universe. He has destroyed billions of lives, he is responsible. He will take her place and preserve this planet._

“How do you know about her?”

_It is written in the books of the ancients_

Rose stared at him, “Well he is not going to take her place.”

_You are just a child. You do not understand_

The space between them was growing less and Rose realised that Tsuda was walking very slowly towards her, holding her attention with his eyes while he softly approached to be within striking distance.

“I understand more than you think,” the words dropped like ice from her tongue. Reaching forward she grabbed the book that he held and swung round to the Doctor, grabbing his arm and half dragging him towards the floating platform.

“Run!” she shouted in the hope that his own word would get his attention. It did.

They ran towards the platform and jumped up to it, the Doctor touching some of the lights as they landed and perched precariously in the centre of the table they watched the cavern around them vanish as they dropped into the pit.

* * *

Like an elevator with no sides the platform rushed down into the earth a rush of air pushing past them, threatening to push them to the sides of the platform and over the edge. Rose clung to the Doctor’s arm and he held her firmly in place as they plunged in stomach churning fashion down into the darkness.

“I thought this was a good idea at the time,” Rose yelled above the noise of the falling platform.

“It’s a fantastic idea!” his eyes sparkled in the pitch black, “Rose you’re brilliant!”

If he said anything else it was lost in the rush of air.

The sound of air pushing past them receded and the platform came to a slow stop in complete blackness. They stood motionless at the centre of the table, Rose afraid to move and the Doctor waiting to see if anything else was going to happen before he tried to mess with archaic technology from what he assumed would be a lofty position floating somewhere in the middle of a cavern if the history books were anything to go by. Releasing Rose’s arm he felt inside his jacket pocket and produced the sonic screwdriver. Twisting it to turn on the blue light he was pleased to see Rose’s smiling face looking up at him. Twisting it a little more the device located the lighting sensors and with a quick flick of his thumb the lights turned on.

“You alright?” he asked her with a concerned tone.

She nodded and held out the book that she had appropriated from Tsuda, “I liberated this from our friend upstairs. Do you think it’s any use Doctor?”

“Might be, and better in our hands than his at any rate…”

“Doctor?” A soft lilting voice seemed to come from nowhere.

Rose froze and the Doctor’s eyes widened.

Materialising before them a woman stood tall and proud, her eyes glistening like stars and a sad smile lingering on her lips.

Rose caught her breath as the Doctor painfully whispered her name.

“Aislin…”


	6. The Harmony of Souls

The projected image of the Time-Lady was almost perfect apart from a slight flicker around her feet which made her appear to stumble as she walked towards them. Dressed simply in a loose white shift that reminded Rose of a Roman goddess, she walked slowly and purposefully towards them. She had changed since the last time the Doctor had seen her, who knew how many times she would have regenerated in the last 8000 years, but he could see the woman he had loved so long ago in the haunted eyes that tried hard to meet the smile that hung on her lips. Long blonde hair billowed softly in a phantom breeze as she stood before them, hands reaching, palms skyward, to the Doctor who had turned a pale shade of white the instant she had appeared.

“I knew you would come,” he voice was cracked, the words forming on lips that seemed to struggle to remember what speaking was.

“Where are you?” he asked, gesturing to the flickering image, “I mean, you’re clearly not physically here. Nice projection though, looks like it needs a little tweaking. Power relays a bit sluggish? The TARDIS should be able to power something a little more stable than this.”

“The TARDIS is gone, Doctor, just as I will be soon,” her projected hand brushed close to the side of his face, the hologram shimmered as her ghostly fingers touched his cheek, “But I was right to hold on for just a little while longer. And you are just in time, as you always have been, always waiting until the last moment to take your place on the stage.”

“What place is that?” Rose asked abruptly, the sound of her voice breaking the electric bond that was forming between them.

“Your companion?”

The Doctor took Rose’s hand and ushered her towards forwards, “Aislin, meet Rose, Rose, Aislin.”

The apparition smiled sweetly at Rose but spoke to the Doctor, “A human? You still haven’t got past your fascination with these people?”

There was no malice in her voice but a gentle hint of humour crept into tired eyes.

“Well, they have some interesting characteristics for a primitive species,” he grinned at Rose and she shook her head in mild disbelief, “Anyway, seems as though we have a bit of a problem here. Aislin, the planet is devouring itself again. Did you know?”

Her eyes dropped to the floor, “It is looking for someone to take my place,” Aislin’s image flickered more erratically, “You must come to the heart of this beast Doctor, the power is failing.”

“Where is it?”

“Open you mind, you will find the way.”

Rose frowned, “Why are you lot always so cryptic?”

Aislin’s mouth moved to answer and the image blinked out.

The Doctor straightened himself and looked around the chamber. He had no intention of opening his mind to anything that Amadi III wanted to show him. Tsuda had put him off telepathic communication with anyone, excluding Rose, for a good while. Spotting a door that he had not noticed before, he jumped off the platform and headed towards it, striding across the floor with Rose trailing a few steps behind, evidently dubious about continuing on this particular adventure.

“We’re going deeper into this hell hole?” her voice held a note of incredulity as it echoed behind him.

“We have to,” the Doctor said without looking back, “Otherwise the whole planet is going to be turned inside out.”

She ran a few steps to overtake him and block his path, “Wait a minute. What about Aislin? How can she be alive? The Time-War was supposed to have destroyed all of you. And if she is alive why can’t she continue to regenerate? It doesn’t make sense.”

He side-stepped her and continued through the door way which opened as he approached, “My being here doesn’t make sense either,” he snapped with more bitterness than he had intended, and he carefully softened his tone and continued, “You’re right, but that doesn’t change the fact that if I don’t do something this world is going to be destroyed, and quickly. It’s not just handfuls of people being devoured by this beast Rose. I saw it, in Tsuda’s mind. Whole cities are being sucked under the ice. Before long whatever it is inside this planet that needs feeding is going to consume everything above the ground,” he was talking as fast as he was walking, words running into each other, “I was wrong when I came here before. Both of us were. We thought that this planet could be preserved through the permanent presence of someone at the very centre of the world. We thought that the creature was lonely. But there’s something more, and the only way to find out what it is, is to place ourselves in the belly of the beast.”

He was running now, determined and desperate to reach the core.

_You cannot save her,_ Tsuda’s voice snuck into his head.

_Did I ask for your opinion?_ the Doctor sent back acidly.

_She is lost to this world. Just as we all shall be. You have failed_ there was surprising little acrimony in his tone for which the Doctor was grateful.

_If I fail it’s because you have ignored me. There is another here, find him, and join us at the core. You will both be needed._

_Another?_

The Doctor sighed, “Why do people never listen to me?”

Rose frowned, “I always listen to you… I just don’t always do what you tell me.”

He shook his head and tapped his temple, “Got an uninvited visitor.”

_His name is Ellor. He’s lost in the passageways somewhere. He’s crucial, I don’t know why but I can feel the planet calling him in. Find him and bring him to me. Don’t ask any more questions and get the hell out of my head._

“Is he bothering you?” Rose asked watching the Doctor’s face become steely, a film of perspiration across his forehead, “Cos if he is…”

The Doctor grimaced at the idle threat, “Keep away from that one Rose, he’d be inside your mind and digging out your deepest secrets before you had time to breath. I wouldn’t trust him with a bowl of porridge.”

“Why? What do you think he would he do with that?”

“Probably find some way to give it telepathic powers and have it take over the world,” a grin flashed through his eyes, “Come on!”

* * *

Cold filled him from within. No matter how he tried he could not break free from the harmony of souls that were calling to him, singing so sweetly in the corners of his mind lead by the gentle loving sound of Mieka as she whispered sweet nothings, promises of what was to come when he joined her. Numb, uncaring, he stumbled bleakly through the passageways heading deeper into the rocks, stumbling, falling, wandering directionless from tunnel to tunnel, hoping with every step that he would see light and the other side of the mountain, but knowing with each step he was heading into darkness. Dread seeped up the rocks and clung to his feet like thick mud drying after the rain. It drew him closer, making his legs tremble with weakness, moving was an effort, but it was necessary, and each step further into the mountain the voices rejoiced, praising his bravery and courage, urging him forever onwards. Tears streaming down his face he forced his way through another archway to collapse at the feet of a stranger, exhausted and afraid.

* * *

Out of breath from running Rose lagged behind the Doctor as he lead her on a terrifying lunge from one corridor to the next, down what she had thought was an endless staircase where she had tripped a dozen times or more, on one occasion taking out the Doctor’s heals with her misplaced foot. He had slowed the pace a little after that but once back on flat surfaces the speed had increased again. Amidst other thoughts Rose noted how fit the Doctor’s two hearts must be to keep going for so long. Her own heart was pounding out of her chest, bashing its way through her rib cage with every laboured, out of condition, breath. When they came to an elevator, of sorts, with open sides and a drop that looked to be thousands of meters Rose found herself actually glad that she could stop for a moment despite feeling dizzied by the height.

The Doctor was breathing heavily too but he controlled it forcing himself to inhale and exhale as steadily as possible. Everything was about control in one way or another, control the body and you could control the mind, keep out the screams of the dying, the voices that were getting stronger inside his head. Tsuda had respected his wishes, at least for a while, but his initial onslaught had left a gaping wound in the Doctor’s telepathic field and stray thoughts from the entire planet were crashing into his mind. Aislin’s voice was strongest of all, pushing at his barriers, summoning him towards her no matter how he tried to block her words he could still feel her ghostly presence. She was desperate, pleading, and with the skill of an old lover she cajoled him into following her path. In moments of weakness he felt her brush against his body as she stirred old memories, her kisses suddenly vibrant and fresh on his lips. She wanted him.

The elevator deposited them in a small chamber that clearly at some point in its life had been a living room for someone. A chair, coated in dust, sat unattended in a corner surrounded by books, an old, empty, mug, and a dressing gown, once beautiful white silk now yellowed with dust and age lay absently on the floor where its owner had let it fall. Organic technology lined the walls, all inert and long dead, the lifeless remains of Aislin’s TARDIS, petrifying. Sadly the Doctor touched the once pulsating structure and felt nothing, even the echoes of life had ebbed away to nothing. The control consol, as once it had been, stood dormant at the centre of the small chamber, unattended it had become redundant and the soul of the ship itself had died un-remarked in the centre of a desperate world.

Rose stared at the room with a horror equal to that of the Doctor’s. The TARDIS she knew would one day end its days like this, when it finally broke beyond repair. Would her Doctor die then too? Unable to regenerate without his beloved vessel? She felt herself baulk at the thought, until now the Doctor had always seemed invincible, but if he could not regenerate he became just like her. Mortal. She looked at him, his eyes black and dark with pain, and banished any thoughts of his demise.

“Is this where she wanted us to be?” Rose asked.

“The control room, yes. This is as close to the core as you can get. We have been wandering around the inside of Aislin’s TARDIS since we dropped down the well, but it’s been dead a long time, that’s why everything looks like the rock above. The last act of camouflage on an alien planet, she literally turned herself to stone to protect the technology,” his voice was terse, “There’s a reserve battery in the very centre of the consol, it’s probably what powered the image of Aislin.”

Rose watched as the Doctor broke through a panel on the consol and illuminated the battery with his sonic screwdriver, “What are you doing?”

“Trying to charge this little battery pack up. I can’t give it much power, but probably enough just to get Aislin back for a few moments.”

“Where is she?”

Withdrawing from the consol for a moment he caught her eye and immediately looked away, “She’s dead Rose, we saw only an image. Like the emergency hologram program that was enabled when I sent the TARDIS back to Earth…”

“But she looked so… real… and she was really talking to you.”

He nodded and went back to charging the battery, “I can’t explain that, not yet anyway. She had a lot of time alone, maybe she devised an interactive hologram.”

In his mind Aislin laughed lightly. _Oh Doctor, you do have such wild ideas._

“That should do it,” he slid out from under the consol and stood back beside Rose, “Now if I just…” he twisted the screwdriver and pointed it at the consol, “We should have…”

“Me.”

* * *


	7. Amadi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amadi is a word from the Yoruba culture of West Africa. www.behindthename.com states that it translates as seemed destined to die at birth. I have adjust the meaning slightly, artistic licence I hope.

In the heart of the dead control room Aislin’s image was stronger than it had been before. The solid, tangible, representation of the woman who had once been the Doctor’s lover leant casually against the inanimate consol her face filled with laughter lines and eyes that sparkled with some secret pleasure. The smile that traversed her face was broad and welcoming, as if the hologram took real pleasure in the presence of others. Aislin eyed the Doctor coyly, examining his figure with a self-evident lust that made Rose uncomfortable and she averted her gaze feigning interest in some patch of dust or other. The Doctor for his part looked almost as uncomfortable as Rose, although for different reasons. Guilt rippled through him as he looked at her face, he had left her alone for thousands of years. It would have taken him so little to have visited once in a while, given her someone to talk to, to touch. Time. There never was enough. He never did the right thing, never said the right words. Oh big events he could manage, he could save the universe, battle aliens, travel from one end of time to the other in search of wrongs to right, but he never took the time to get close. Always lacking the personal touch. His stare drifted to Rose who was brushing sand and dust from an old information station. Would he do the same to her?

Aislin walked seductively around him, her head cocked slightly to the right as she perused his regenerated form. Her body, holographic body the Doctor reminded himself, moved slowly, majestic as a swan floating on the purest lake, a gentle swagger of her hips sending the white shift in a subtle wave that emphasised her curves. She seemed to find his striped suite amusing, and his fashionable baseball boots forced a giggle from her lips.

“Well, well, well… you really don’t have much of an idea of style do you?”

Affronted, he looked himself up and down and brushed dust from his shoulders, “Nothing wrong with this. I’ll have you know I am quite the fashion guru. Well… I say guru…” his attention wandered to examining her perfect lips and he failed to complete his usual rambling sentence.

“I have missed you,” she whispered softly, leaning towards his ear.

For a moment he was sure he could feel her warm breath against his skin, but her mind was touching his, slipping through the open wound with such ease that he was barely aware that it was happening. He was with her again, if only for a little while, that was what mattered.

“You needed me for something?” he heard himself asking. In his mind she was breathing softly down his neck, he could feel the softness of her skin as her cheek rested against him.

“I always needed you.”

The control room was fading out of his vision, the world lost in a galaxy of stars, and he was standing, quite naturally he felt, in the midst of the universe surrounded by tiny specks of light, the glistening suns of world’s millions of miles away. His face was cupped in her hands and his hands were resting with familiarity on her waist. Her body was beautiful, so perfectly formed, angelic even. In his arms she felt the same as she had 200 years before, gentle, peaceful, vulnerable, his body warmed to her his hearts embracing her with fondness. Aislin’s hands were cool and smooth against his skin, so alive, so real. He was not alone. She was alive and he was not the last Time-Lord anymore.

“You have come to fulfil the prophecy, Doctor. Just as it was always planned. Circular time. We begin where we end you and I.”

He smiled, staring into the stars that reflected in her dilated pupils. Words seemed unimportant.

“You must join with me and together we will live for eternity, inseparable. Bound in love and life. Conjoined. Forever a part of each other,” he voice was musical, like the caress of a mother upon her new born child, lulling him, reaching into his being, “You are the key.”

“I am the key,” he repeated, dazed.

Her fingers danced down his spine and he felt naked under the stars. Weightless, his body stretched into eternity as it mingled with the universe. Simply another appendage that he no longer required. With an effort he tried to clear his mind but he realised too late that he was being sucked under. Weightlessness turned into the gravity of six worlds, and he was being dragged into the depths of something he could not see. But he could feel it, crushing his lungs, sucking the air from his chest. He struggled, arms flaying wildly as he searched for something to pull him out of the shadows that were enveloping him. He found nothing but the distorting image of Aislin as his hand passed through her body.

“Do not fight it,” Aislin sang, her voice changing in pitch, her image becoming unstable, “Let the void fill you. You will become one with the planet, let it engulf you.”

He couldn’t breath, couldn’t think. His head was full of screams, the dead and the dying, the souls of past, present and future smothering him, tearing at his skin. They jeered, laughed, pitied him in his fall, their hands outstretched tugging at his suit, dragging him down and down into the pit of despair. Writhing as he fell, hands pressed to his temples in a vain attempt to release himself from the roar of voices he saved his last breath to scream out just one word, praying that it would be enough to save him.

“Rose!”

And then the darkness swallowed him.

* * *

The cry was inhuman and anguished and Rose, for a second, could not fathom its origin, until she saw the Doctor’s contorted face staring at her, her name still lingering on his lips as he pitched forward, through the hologram of Aislin which vanished as his head passed through hers. Rose crossed the room in time to awkwardly catch his shoulders and clumsily manhandle his dead weight so that she crumpled to the floor holding his upper body in her arms. Cradling him gently she felt his hearts beating hard and fast in his chest but his eyes were squeezed tightly shut and sweat poured down his face. Involuntary spasms shook him, his face pinched as though he were battling internally for control of himself. Rose stared at him, terrified, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of jacket and urgently calling his name, shouting into his ear. He could not hear her, or if he could he was unable to respond.

Lowering his twitching torso to the floor, placing his head on her jacket, she grabbed the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the battery as the Doctor had done. Its blue light set the crystal celled battery glowing but Aislin did not reappear. Crawling under the consol as she had seen the Doctor do so many times she stared hopelessly at the mass of petrifying switches, wires and cables. They meant nothing to her. Nothing! Rose slammed her fist into the consol sending dust and small pieces of rock up into the air.

The consol groaned under the impact and seemed to move slightly. Frustrated and angry Rose hit the consol again her eyes widening as the unit began to break apart in front of her. Maybe this was the key? This was as close as they could get to the core of the planet but what if the TARDIS herself had gone deeper, merging her own vortex with whatever was hiding in the core? Rose ran across the room and grabbed the metal framed chair and, thrusting it into the opening crack, she pushed with all her strength, splitting the consol in two.

With a thunderous crack the two halves of the consol shattered and fell to the floor sending clouds of sand and dust throughout the room. The whole ship rocked and for a long moment everything was draped in a cloud of brown dust which burnt Rose’s oesophagus as she breathed in. As the dust began to clear Rose realised she was no-longer the only person standing in the room. Two shadows stood by the elevator, looming ominously over the prone body of the Doctor. Rose rushed to stand over him wielding the sonic screwdriver as though it were a blaster or some other useful weapon.

“Keep away from him!”

Tsuda stepped slowly into view, his face grave, the flaps of skin that covered his nose flapping quickly to disperse the dust from his nostrils.

_I mean him no harm_

Rose stared at him, “Get out of my head.”

_I will not harm you, but you must hear me._ Tsuda’s hands were outstretched showing he carried no weapons, _He summoned us here, and I fear perhaps we are too late._

The other man stepped carefully forward. His face was tear stained, his eyes shining as he held out his hand to Rose, _Please, I have come as I was commanded. My name is Ellor._

Rose hesitated. The dust was clearing further and she could see the pain in the young man’s eyes. Even Tsuda looked genuine for the first time since she had met him. Finally she nodded her consent, “I’m Rose, this is the Doctor. He’s got something in his head.”

Ellor knelt beside the Doctor dropping his head until their foreheads touched. Instantly he recoiled, his face expressing an agony that he could not speak.

“What is it?”

Tsuda rested a hand on Ellor’s shoulder, _Your friend is trapped within the core. We cannot save him._

“But we have to!” Rose knelt opposite Ellor and caught his pale white hands with hers, “Please!”

Behind her the consol rocked back and forth, grinding softly in its two halves across the floor. Ellor stared at her, his eyes passing through her and then over her shoulder a golden light reflecting in his eyes.

The vortex!

Rose spun watching the glow engulf the room slowly. It was an amber light more than golden she realised, it was different now. Not the same vortex that she had seen before.

Tsuda strode past her and peered into the bowl of light _If we are to save him, if we are to save ourselves at all, we must walk into the light._

Ellor was already lifting the Doctor gently from the floor with apparent ease. His long arms scooped up the lifeless form, carrying him effortlessly towards the centre of the TARDIS and what Rose could only assume was the portal the core of the world itself. Something in Ellor’s certainty filled Rose with a new sense of trust, he seemed so gentle, honest. But Tsuda… the Doctor had told her not to go near him. But then the Doctor had got a few things wrong just lately.

“How do you know?” Rose caught Ellor’s arm as he tried to pass her, “How do you know what to do?”

He smiled, a sad but hope filled smile, that reached from his lips to his eyes, _I am Amadi, and this is my destiny._

Rose shook her head unable to comprehend the meaning, “But you are all Amadi. You live here!”

_None more than I_ , he inclined his head in a submissive nod, _We must hurry. Time is short._

Unwillingly Rose followed Tsuda into the brilliant light with Ellor, still carrying the Doctor, a step behind her. Without asking Tsuda took her hand and one of Ellor’s and in a burst of luminous light the dead TARDIS vanished from around them.

* * *


	8. We Begin Where We End

The opera house was filled with sound, hundreds, thousands of feet stamping in unison, like the beat of the drummer leading the firing squad out to the line. The walls resonated with deep vibrations that took over his physical form, pounding in his chest, shaking his very sense of self, suffocating him with a tirade of desperation. The auditorium was filled with ghosts, crammed into every seat, lining the aisles, hanging from the walls and perching on the archways. In his mind faces and voices taunted him. Arcadia burned. Gallifrey. Ships flew past him, out of control, the guts of the Gallifreyan empire aflame. His children, his family, reached out to him, he could hear their words, distant, accusative, damning. The burnt visages melted before him, skin liquefying in superheated explosions, globules of burning flesh dripping like molten plastic around him. The smell was unbearable. He choked on it, nauseated, unable to breath through the fumes. TARDIS exploded in front of him, organic matter splattering throughout the galaxy, dank and dark.

The screams were worse. Blood curdling howls, the cries of a whole civilization watching itself die and praying to whatever gods were listening to save them. Gallyfreyan words bombarded him, curses, damnation, the eternal destruction of his soul, rang like the sirens through his mind, piercing his hearts, his essence, with hatred. Daleks screamed too. Metallic voices echoing through the edges of his mind, the sound of their weapons rang out through the cacophony, destroying everything in their path. There were others. The voices of all those he had killed, he heard them beg for life, plead for mercy. And each one died over and over again in his mind. Amadi drowned before him in a sea of ice, their pale bodies sucked into the planet, gazing up at him with desolation in their faces.

Mercifully the din subsided and he found himself knelt on the floor, his face wet with sweat and tears, the heal of his hands pressed into his temples, his fists clenched, knuckles white with exertion. He was in the centre of the stage, a few steps away from the pulpit which lead down to Tsuda’s library, but this was not the opera house of the surface. He blinked back the dampness of his eyes and focused on the building itself. It was a mirror image. The world inverted. He forced himself to stand and his audience laughed as he staggered to where he had found the inscription in the world above. He stared at it, trying to process the words that swam before him.

“Give up Doctor.”

The voice made him turn, stumbling on unsteady feet. Aislin, or at least a version of her, stood before him. There were subtle changes in her appearance, she stood taller now, somehow broader, and her eyes had changed, glowing amber with defiance. The voice was different too, a darker, possessed tone told him the image was not even a representation of the woman he loved anymore.

“Who are you to tell me to give up?” he challenged, his throat raw.

“I am your destiny.”

A crooked grin crossed his face, “Well that’s alright then, because I never believed in destiny, which makes you a figment of your imagination.”

Aislin stepped forward and gripped him by the throat, holding him at arms length, his legs dangling above the stage, “Does this feel like your imagination?”

“Leave him alone!”

The Doctor’s eyes flashed to his right and saw Rose appearing from the stairs under the pulpit. Behind her was Tsuda, and behind him was another man carrying a body. He blinked, unable to make a sound with Aislin’s hand around his vocal chords. She lowered him to the floor and released him, leaving him gasping for air like a fish out of water.

“I’ve always wondered what an out of body experience felt like,” he said dryly when he could gather enough breath, “It's very real. I'm impressed.”

Aislin was striding towards Rose, eyes black as night., the room seemed to shake with her every step. Rose stood tall and proud, arms crossed firmly across her chest, meeting the Aislin eye to eye, her expression stone. Stopping inches from Rose’s face Aislin scowled daggers.

“You have no business here.”

Rose’s gaze did not falter, “Where he goes, I go. Whatever business you have with him you can settle with me.”

“Rose, no!” the Doctor cried from the other side of the stage, fighting his way through thickening air to reach her.

A snarl licked at Aislin’s lips, an inhuman growl slipping between them. With one hand raised she pushed the Doctor back into the auditorium without her hands ever touching him, the ghosts pinning him with his arms tightly held behind his back. Baring her teeth like a wolf before its prey Aislin began to transform into someone, or something, else. Long hair melted away, arms twisted and extended, her fine body replaced by that of a beast, its skin white and pale, joints twisted, its face ravaged by age. It stared at Rose and Rose stared right back, unflinching.

“You will trade yourself for this pitiful creature?” its voice was rasping, blood trickled from its mouth like saliva.

Rose raised her head to look up at the creature that now towered above her, “Yes.”

“Fool!” In one movement it grabbed her with bony hands and pulled her close to its face.

Rose could smell the blood. It stank of death. Of defeat. The iron in its breath filled the air and Rose could taste it on her tongue as she opened her mouth to speak.

“You are afraid,” she said with a calmness that astounded even her, “I can see it in your face. You’re terrified. And the thing with being terrified is you don’t know which way to turn. Do you run? Do you fight? Kill? Maim? Destroy?” the words rushed out, “Or do you stop, and think, consider the possibilities? Because there are always possibilities.”

The creature stared at her, the trail of blood trickling down its chin and dripping on Rose’s shoe.

“We could help you. If you wanted,” Rose attempted to shrug in a careless sort of manner which did not entirely work as she was suspended mid air by the hands that gripped her under her arms. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Doctor, his soul or whatever it was, smiling quietly, encouragingly. The hands that suspended her in mid air twitched nervously.

Then, as swiftly as she had been lifted from the floor, Rose found herself dashed back against in, landing on her knees beside the Doctor’s physical form which was lying prone on the floor, the creature’s hands around her neck pushing her face to within an inch of the Doctor’s. She did not have time to wonder where Ellor and Tsuda had gone.

“Do you want to be like him? You can join him, if you wish. I can split your spirit from your body and drag you through the darkness, and you can join your broken little Time-Lord in HELL.”

Rose pushed herself away from the ground and turning spat words back at the monster, “If anyone is going to hell, it’s you!”

The creature howled and with ease tossed Rose across the stage sending her smashing into the pulpit her head impacting on the structure. The world blurred. Lights vanished and Rose’s own personal hell rushed through her head. Her father, Daleks, Mickey, all the people she had left behind. She watched them suffer, watched them scream. The Doctor died before her over and over again, a hundred different ways, all alone, without her to help. Jack disintegrated before her eyes, paradox upon paradox, death after death.

Rose cried out.

The crowd roared.

A mighty crack emanated through the air silencing the hoards. Tsuda stood beneath the sphere that was so perfectly carved into the ceiling, the top of the staff glowing with a golden light. Beside him was the other man, Ellor the Doctor recalled slowly. Ellor’s hands were outstretched to the creature that had been Aislin, beckoning to her to join him. The Doctor felt Tsuda’s presence in his mind and he recoiled as if doused with scalding water.

_You must let me return you to your body,_ the scholar’s voice was firm and gentle, _This was my doing, allow me to correct my mistake._

Nodding slightly the Doctor gritted his teeth against the pain. Tsuda’s mind touched his, gently this time, reaching through the darkness, searching for something. The touch was soft, but it burnt like fire. His legs gave way from under him and he hung, suspended by the arms of his captors, too weak to fight.

The creature was staring at Ellor, fear and desire mixed in its face. Slowly, a half step at a time it approached him eventually kneeling at his feet looking up at the young man like a beggar desperate for food. Ellor’s hands touched the beasts head, smoothing the old haggard skin with genuine compassion, he held its hand as it began to cry, clinging to his legs, a lost little boy caught in the body of an old man. Ellor did not move. Rose watched through a haze of concussion as the beast dragged itself to its feet and lifting Ellor into its arms, the movement was slow, calm, and ridiculously caring for a creature that had just tossed the Doctor and Rose around like rag dolls.

“I am Amadi,” the words were Ellor’s but they came from the mouth of the beast, “And this is my destiny.”

Rose struggled to find her feet but succeeded only to kneel before the beast, placing herself between the Doctor’s physical form and the creature that held Ellor so gently in it’s arms, “What do you mean?”

The creatures mouth projected Ellor’s words again, “We begin where we end and end where we begin. We are the same. We become one. Conjoined. The harmony of souls. We walk this path together. Our worlds become one.”

Her head swam, the image before her was fading, “I don’t understand.”

Ellor and the beast smiled softly at her, “You will,” they said in unison, “She could not take him because he is yours,” they looked at the body of the Doctor behind her, “He would not relinquish you even when all else was gone.”

The image was translucent now. Slipping into air.

“We have found each other. We are Amadi. We have found our destiny.”

The words slipped away into nothingness, and the image of Ellor and the beast faded out completely.

A deafening roar filled the opera house. Lights poured in through every window and the building shook. Above them the architecture rocked, splintered and collapsed, shards of masonry and ice falling as a rain around them. Tsuda crossed to Rose and turned her to face him.

_You must leave_

Rose glanced at the Doctor who lay motionless beside her, “What about him?”

_I will help you, but I can take you only as far as the Vortex. When worlds collide I must be here._ Tsuda lifted the Doctor and carried him towards the pulpit. Rose stumbled behind willing her legs to carry her. The light was growing brighter, it was blinding. Her head spun and she could barely see Tsuda as he lead her back the way they had come.

The bottom of the stairs was engulfed in bright white light and as they reached the landing Tsuda lowered the Doctor to the floor.

_I cannot enter the light, but you must, and you must take him with you. You must return to the centre of the dead ship before the worlds merge._

Rose caught his arm, “Where will you go?”

Tsuda smiled, _My place is in the opera house. Go quickly._ He saw her eyes staring at the Doctor, _He will live, do not be concerned._

She nodded and stooped, reaching under the Doctor’s armpits and laced her fingers at the front so she could not let go. Dragging his limp form into the light she watched Tsuda return up the stairs as the ceiling gave way and the world turned to complete darkness.

* * *


	9. Epilogue

They had entered the Vortex just in time. As Rose hauled the Doctor up through the centre of the dead consol the room collapsed around her. Not in a physical sense, though she ducked and shielded the Doctor from the devastation, but something else. The sound was like nothing she had heard before, the grinding of rock, crunching of metal, the screams of a birthing mother, the moans of a dying man, all merged into one moment of cataclysm. When it stopped Rose dared to look up and, dumfounded, gaped at the inside of their TARDIS as it glowed in its greens and blues around them.

_When worlds collide…_

“Oh my God,” she said quietly, “The worlds literally merged into one. Inside and outside.”

The Doctor’s fingers weakly squeezed her arm, “Smart girl, my Rose Tyler. Brave too. Fantastic show you put on there.”

Rose gathered him into a long and tight embrace and the Doctor hugged her weakly back, breathing painfully into her hair as it hung about their shoulders. Silent tears ran down his face and he held on to her as she tried to pull back, blinking away the wetness of his eyes before he would let her look at his face. When she did manage to entice him to release her she helped him to his feet and they hugged again, battered and exhausted.

“You alright?” he asked gruffly.

She nodded into his shoulder, “Yeah, you?”

“I’m always alright,” he looked down at her, smoothing the hair from her face with a gentle, trembling hand.

Rose grinned up at him and stood back, watching him stand unsteadily on his own two feet, “Oh absolutely. Picture of health you are!”

He shrugged and turned to the consol, punching in new co-ordinates at random. His head was empty now. Even the echoes had finally run themselves out and he was as he had been for the last two regenerations, alone in his mind. The relief was almost as overwhelming as the fresh wave of grief.

“I’m sorry,” Rose’s voice filtered through his memories, “About Aislin.”

For a moment he did not turn, but when he did the mask had returned, the great actor taking the centre stage one more time, “She was never there Rose. The Core used her to lure me in.”

“Why did it want you?”

A sniff, a casual shrug, a thoughtful expression, head slightly leant to the right, “Well who wouldn’t want me?”

Rose laughed despite herself.

He took a deep breath and sighed, “Aislin merged with the Core sometime in her last regeneration, that’s how she managed to live through the Time-War. She was no longer a pure Time-Lady, when we were wiped out from past, present and future she survived. The Core was looking for companionship and because Aislin and I… well it wanted me to be her companion.”

The centre of the control panel began to pulsate, they were finally leaving Amadi behind.

“But you… you were brilliant! You made it think, gave it options, possibilities! With all the people it had absorbed it found someone who was willing to sacrifice everything to heal the world, forever this time…”

“Ellor?”

He nodded, “Precisely. The core had swallowed up his bride when it was desperately searching for someone to fill the void within it. Now they have what you lot dream of, they will have each other until the end of the universe,” he crossed to Rose and took her hand in his, “You saved the world again Miss Tyler.”

She shrugged dismissively, “I wasn’t trying to save the world.”

“I know,” he said and squeezed her hand.

“So what now?”

He seemed to consider for a moment, “Cup of tea, bath, and sleep, for about a week I reckon. Then who knows, maybe we’ll try Earth again, you can visit your Mother if you want.”

“I’ll go put the kettle on then,” Rose lead him towards the kitchen but felt him drop her hand, “You not coming? What am I? Your personal teas made?”

“I have something to do. Go on. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Something in his tone told Rose he wanted a moment alone so she nodded and continued down the corridor without him.

Standing in the middle of the consol room the Doctor fumbled in his pocket for the scrap of paper on which he had written the symbols from the first opera house. Smiling sadly he traced the words with his finger.

The paths we walk, we walk alone.

With careful precision he folded the paper in four and returned it neatly to his pocket.

“Not always,” he whispered quietly, and letting the TARDIS determine their course, the Doctor followed in Rose’s footsteps towards the smell of brewing tea.


End file.
